


Until Oliver

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Coming Out, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 04:43:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5034193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your heart races, your pulse quickens, you feel warm – no, you feel hot. You’re stomach flutters, twisting and turning, and your skin tingles. That’s what it feels like when you have a crush on a girl – that’s what Eddie told him. Eddie said he feels like that whenever he’s with Iris. Barry’s not so sure that’s true for everyone, though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Until Oliver

**Author's Note:**

> Olivarry Week Day Two: Coming Out

Your heart races, your pulse quickens, you feel warm – no, you feel  _hot_. You’re stomach flutters, twisting and turning, and your skin tingles. That’s what it feels like when you have a crush on a girl – that’s what Eddie told him. Eddie said he feels like that whenever he’s with Iris. Barry’s not so sure that’s true for everyone, though.

Barry’s never felt that before. About  _anyone._

Until Oliver.

He’s had crushes on girls before. They’re pretty and they smell nice. But they’ve never made him feel  _that_  way. His skin doesn’t tingle when they bump up against him. And he doesn’t get butterflies in his stomach

Whenever Oliver’s around he can’t think straight – not that he wants to think  _straight_ anyway. Everything is different around Oliver. His heart races, his pulse quickens, his stomach flutters. His skin tingles when Oliver brushes against him. He feels the tingle for hours afterwards. It makes his head spin.

It’s confusing. It really is. Barry never really thought that he’d be attracted to…  _boys_. Sure, he could well…  _appreciate…_  how attractive they were – he remembers blushing when Iris introduced him to Eddie (and  _no_  his eyes did  _not_  wander the length of Eddie’s body). But… an actual…  _sexual attraction?_  He’s never felt like this about a boy before. But… everything about Oliver has Barry fumbling over his words when the older boy is around.

_Damn_  Oliver Queen and his masculine wiles.

–

“J-Joe.” Barry stutters out from the foot of the stairs, looking apprehensively into the living room. “Can I…um… talk to you?”

Joe mutes the football game that’s on the T.V and turns around to look at him. “Of course, Bar.”

Barry nods his head and walks into the room. He wipes his sweaty palms awkwardly on his pants. He brings a hand up to the back of his head and looks around for a moment, trying to decide where to sit. The arm chair? Next to Joe on the couch? Eventually, he makes up his mind and sits down on the arm of the couch – ready take-off and run away if he needs to.

He fidgets as he tries to think of what to say. How do you start this conversation with your foster dad? Ordinarily he would have talked to Iris about this first, she’s his best friend, but she’s away at college and this isn’t really and over-the-phone conversation.

“I-I… don’t know how to say this. I mean.” Barry pauses and looks at the ground, running his fingers through his hair. “Oh… this is so awkward.” He mutters. “Uh… it’s just that I don’t have – “ he cuts himself off before he says that he doesn’t have friends to talk to – _that’s_  not a conversation for today. “I like boys.” He eventually blurts out, eyes going wide now that the admission is out in the open. “I mean… like girls too?” He adds on awkwardly, trailing off into uncomfortable silence – uncomfortable to him, at least.

“Hey, Son.” Joe says, breaking the silence. “I know.”

“You do?” Barry asks, snapping his head up so fast to look at Joe in disbelief. “I… didn’t even know.”

“Bar, you’re not as good at hiding things as you think you are.”

“W-what?” Barry mumbles, looking at the floor again.

“When Iris first brought Eddie home, you couldn’t keep your eyes off of him.”

Barry opens his mouth then closes it again, just nodding his head instead. He doesn’t really know what to say. Joe’s clearly okay with the way he is and that’s… awesome – not that he’s surprised. Joe West really is the best father anyone could ask for.

“Come ‘ere.” Joe says, standing up and holding his arms out. Joe places his hands on Barry’s shoulder and looks into his son’s eyes. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.” He reassures Barry, before pulling him into a hug.

“Thank you, Joe.”

“Now, whoever he is, go get him, Bar.”

Barry pulls away and ducks his head with a blush. “Yeah, okay.”


End file.
